Tuberculosis Differential Diagnoses
- Author: Thomas E Herchline, MD; Chief Editor: Burke A Cunha, MD more...
Diagnostic Considerations
Conditions to consider
Along with the differentials listed in the next section, conditions to consider in the diagnosis of patients with symptoms of tuberculosis (TB) include the following:
- Blastomycosis
- Tularemia
- Actinomycosis
- Hidradenitis suppurativa
- Eosinophilic granuloma
- Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare infection
- Mycobacterium chelonae infection
- Mycobacterium fortuitum infection
- Mycobacterium gordonae infection
- Mycobacterium kansasii infection
- Mycobacterium marinum infection
- Mycobacterium xenopi infection
- Endemic syphilis
- Erythema induratum (nodular vasculitis)
- Erythema nodosum
- Leishmaniasis
- Leprosy
- Catscratch disease
- Dermatitis herpetiformis
- Discoid lupus erythematosus
- Pustular psoriasis
- Squamous cell carcinoma
- Syphilis
- Syringoma
- Orbital cellulitis
- Preseptal cellulitis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
TB is well-known for its ability to masquerade as other infectious and disease processes within the human body. For example, congenital TB can mimic congenital syphilis or cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection.
Specific dermatologic considerations in the identification of TB
Differentiate primary-inoculation TB from ulceroglandular complexes and mycobacterioses.
Differentiate TB verrucosa cutis from diseases such as North American blastomycosis, chromoblastomycosis, iododerma and bromoderma, chronic vegetative pyoderma, verruca vulgaris, verrucous carcinoma, verrucous atypical mycobacterial infection, and verrucous lupus vulgaris.
Differentiate miliary TB of the skin (which appears as small, noncharacteristic, erythematous, papular or purpuric lesions) from drug reactions)
Differentiate scrofuloderma from supportive lymphadenitis with sinus-tract formation, such as blastomycosis and coccidioidomycosis.
Differentiate TB cutis orificialis from glossitis, apotheosis, and deep fungal infections.
Differentiate lupus vulgaris from lupoid rosacea, deep fungal or atypical mycobacterial infection, chronic granulomatous disease, granulomatous rosacea, and Wegener granulomatosis.
Differentiate erythema induratum from nodular panniculitides (eg, Weber-Christian disease) and nodular vasculitides (eg, syphilitic gumma, nodular pernio).
Differentiate papulonecrotic tuberculid from other papulonecrotic entities, such as leukocytoclastic vasculitis, lymphomatoid papulosis, papular eczema, and prurigo simplex with neurotic excoriation.
Differentiate lichen scrofulosorum from keratosis spinulosa, lichenoid sarcoid, and lichenoid secondary syphilis.
Differential Diagnoses
- Actinomycosis
- Aspergillosis
- Bronchiectasis
- Histoplasmosis
- Lung Abscess
- Lung Cancer, Non-Small Cell
- Nocardiosis
- Pericarditis, Constrictive
- Pneumonia, Fungal
- Pott Disease (Tuberculous Spondylitis)
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